Bicycle.



Patented Oct. l7, I899. F. P BEMIS.

BICYCLE.

(Application filed Mar. 22, 1897.),

(No Model.)

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NllF tans Parent prion.

FREDERICK POMEROY BEMIS, OF DAVENPORT, IOvVA.

BlGYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 685,032, dated October 17, 1899.

Original application filed August 25, 1896, Serial No. 603,909. Divided and this application filed March 22,1897. Saris-1N0.

' 628,689. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK POMEROY BEMIs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Davenport, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

, My invention has for its object to provide a novel construction of driving mechanism which is specially applicable to bicycles, although capable of use for other purposes; and for these purposes it consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of which it is composed, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, this application being a division of another application filed by me in the United States Patent Office on the 25thday of August, 1896, and serially numbered 603,909.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which corresponding parts are designated by corresponding marks of reference, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle having my present invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a section on line a: 00 of Fig. 1.

The driving mechanism herein shown imparting motion to the forward wheel it is obvious can be used either by itself or as auxiliary to any approved form of driving mechanism for the rear wheelsuch, for instance, as that described in my said original application serially numbered 603,909and it will also be seen that such driving mechanism as that to be described may in its broader features be driven by the foot and applied to the rear wheel or other desired situations.

As shown, within the tubular upper end 1 of the front fork l is adj ustably contained the rod 2, carrying upon its upper end the transverse cross-bar 3, having handles 4 upon its ends, by which the bicycle may be guided. The rod 2 is by preference flattened on its sides above that portion thereof contained within the tubular end of the fork, so that its transverse axis is shortened, whereby it may be bent from side to side of the machine, tilting the cross-bar 3, or the rod 2 may be formed in two pieces connected by a longitudinal pivot-pin 2, as shownin Fig. 2, whereby the same result will be obtained, for thepurposes presently to be set forth.

On each side of the hub of the front Wheel A- is secured a grooved pulley 5, while on the cross-bar 3, on each side of and at an equal belt upon the first-named side will have sufficient friction upon the corresponding idlerpulley 6 to draw down that end of the crossbar 3 and raise the opposite end thereof, (the rod 2 bending or moving upon its pivot to allow this,) whereby the two pulleys over which the belt having the downcoming handle passes are caused to approach (thus permitting the belt to move with but little friction over the pulley 5 upon the Wheel A) and whereby the pulleys on the opposite side are separated, causing the belt passing thereover to bind upon the pulley 5 and drive or assist in driving the bicycle. I

To insure the movement of the two belts in opposite directions, a strand 9 may have its ends connected to the opposite belts,whereby the surplus force applied to the depression of one handle will be communicated to and assist in imparting a driving motion to the opposite belt, and if such a strand be carried over transverse pulleys 10, located upon the ends of the cross-bar 3, the friction of the strand upon these pulleys will assist in the desired tilting of the cross-bar.

It will be seen that by raising or lowering the rod in the tubular portion of the front fork the height of the pulleys 6, carried thereby, may be varied to suit the stroke of the rider, the belt 7 and the strand 8 being lengthened or shortened correspondingly.

In order to support the body of the rider while operating the handles 8, I have devised a form of support for the chest. (Shown in the accompanying drawings.) As shown, this consists of an arm secured to the frame of the machine in front of and adjacent to the saddle-post and inclined upwardly and forwardly therefrom. As shown, I prefer to make the arm 11 of a yielding construction, such as of a thin strip of hickory, which is twisted around a quarter-revolution, so that its shorter axis is transverse in one portion and in the plane of the machine in another, the last-named portion being near its upper end, which is broadened out into a rest, which is thus given a yielding motion in a vertical plane to lessen jars, while the portion in which the shorter axis is transverse is near the point of support of the arm and permits the rest to be moved from side to side, as may be desired, the spring thereof tending to always return it to the medial line. Such an arm may be supported by a clip, such as shown, on the upper tube B of the frame in front of the saddle-post. This clip is shown as consisting of a plate 12, having a projection 12* on one face thereof, the projection having a rounded channel therein adapted to fit snugly upon the upper tube, which is inclosed by a U-piece 13, having ears 13 thereon, through which pass bolts, to be hereinafter described, whereby the plate and the piece 13 may be drawn together to clamp the tube. A second plate 14 is also provided, and the lower end of the arm is placed between the opposite faces of the two plates and is adjustably held therein by drawing.

the plates together by the bolt 15, located at the upper rear and lower forward corners of the plates. As shown, these bolts have shoulders 15 thereon bearing against the inner face of the plate 12, whereby the two plates may be separated by unscrewing the nuts 15 on one end of the bolts without affecting the adjustment of the plate 12 and piece 13, which are held together by nuts 15 on the opposite ends of the bolts and also by nuts 16 on the projecting ends of bolts 16, the heads of the last-named bolts being countersunk in the inner face of the plate 12. Additional rigidity may be imparted to the mounting of the arm between the plates by driving in wedges 17 between the edges thereof and the bolts 15.

In this application I make no claim on the body-support above described, it being shown merely for the purpose of illustrating a satisfactory device for supporting the rider while propelling a bicycle with the mechanism herein claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, in my present application, is

1. In a device for transmitting power, the combination of two driven pulleys, two idlerpulleys, a tilting support for the idler-pulleys, the idler-pulleys being mounted upon the support on opposite sides of its pivotal point, and a reciprocating belt passing over each driven pulley and the corresponding idlerpulley, whereby the distance between the driven and idler pulleys is varied by the motion of the belts, substantially as described.

2. In a device for transmitting power, the combination of two driven pulleys, two idlerpulleys, a tilting support for the idler-pulleys, the idler-pulleys being mounted upon the sup port on opposite sides of its pivotal point, a reciprocating belt passing over each driven pulley and the corresponding idler-pulley, and a connection between the two belts, whereby they are caused to move in opposite directions, thereby tilting the support from side to side to alternately tighten and loosen each belt, substantially as described.

3. In a device for transmitting power, the combination of two driven pulleys, two idlerpulleys, a tilting support for the idler-pulleys, a reciprocating belt passing over each driven pulley and the corresponding idler-pulleys, transverse pulleys mounted upon the tilting support on each side of the center thereof, and a strand connected to the two belts and passing over the tranverse pulleys, whereby the belts are caused to move in opposite di rections, and thereby tilting the support from side to side to alternately tighten and loosen each belt, substantially as described.

4. In a bicycle, the combination with a suitable frame, of a pulley on each side of the hub of the wheel thereof, a transverse tilting support adjustably mounted on the frame, an idler-pulley and transverse pulley mounted on each side of the center of the tilting support, a reciprocating belt passing over each driven pulley and the corresponding idler-pulley, and a strand connected to the two belts and passing over the transverse pulleys, whereby the belts are caused to move in opposite direction, thereby tilting the support from side to side to alternately tighten and loosen each belt, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK POMEROY BEMIS.

Witnesses:

A. G. BUSH, J. A. HOLMES. 

